How to Better Understand the Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo was significant in that it was the final action of the Napoleonic Wars. It was fought on June 18, 1815, near Waterloo (in what is now the country of Belgium.)

It was major turning point in modern history as it ended French dominance within the continent of Europe and brought about significant changes within the political boundaries and the balance of power in Europe.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• An interest in the Napoleonic wars with particular interest in the Battle of Waterloo.

1. The first thing you will need to understand is the background of the battle. Napoleon was able to position France as a major power within Europe during the period from 1804 to 1813.
   
   In 1814 Napoleon met defeat through a coalition of major powers: Prussia, Great Britain, Russia and Austria. Afterwards, he was then deposed and placed in exile at the island of Elba.

2. The next important date you need to remember is September 1814. At that time, the Congress of Vienna including delegates from most of Europe's nations convened in order to discuss problems arising from France's defeat.

3. Another important date to note is: February 26, 1815. It was at this time that Napoleon was able to escape from Elba and return to France.
   
   There he found the veterans of many of his former campaigns and on March 20, 1815 Napoleon once again returned to the throne.
   
   It goes without saying, The Congress of Vienna was alarmed at Napoleon's return to power.
   
   In response, Austria, Prussia, Great Britain and Russia each agreed to contribute troops for an invasion force to be assembled in Belgium and near France's border.
   
   Additionally, a majority of other countries, present, also contributed troops for the invasion.
   
   The invasion was scheduled to take place on July 1 of 1815.

4. The next step in better understanding The Battle of Waterloo is to make note of the strategy.
   
   Napoleon, finding out about the plan for invasion, decided the allies must be attacked on their own soil before their plan could be launched.
   
   Within a short two month span of time, Napoleon was able to mobilize 360,000 soldiers. He deployed half as a security force within France and grouped the rest into units ready to do combat.

5. The strategy on Napoleon's part was intelligent and decisive. Herein is how it went down:
   
   1) On June 14, 1815, Napoleon quickly reached the Franco-Belgian border with 124,000 troops. Another 56,000 men were left behind in supporting positions;
   
   2) Envision this: Facing him just beyond the Belgin border were two separate allied armies.
   
   The larger army numbered 116,000 Prussians and Saxons. They were led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher and based at Namur
   
   Others in Blucher's army were stationed as far west as Gilly and Charleroi.
   
   A force of 93,000 British, Dutch and German troops was based at Brussels. An outpost was found in the village of Quatre-Bras.
   
   The leader of this army was British General Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington.
   
   Napoleon's plan was to attack both armies wherein he would split and destroy both of them.
   
   Then he would deal with the Russian and Austrian armies heading toward France (from the east).
   
   In order to carry out his strategy, he divided his army into two separate attack groups; and one (strategic) reserve.

6. Napoleon, on June 15, 1815 caught the Allied Command off guard as he moved across the Belgian border. In conclusion, after one day of fighting Napoleon held the strategic advantage:
   
   The French had ordered a Prussian advance guard at Charleroi. Napoleon had taken his left-wing of men and ordered them to attack a brigade of (Wellington's) calvary at Quatre-Bras. This was approximately 19 km or 12 miles north of Charleroi. He then ordered his right-wing to move east against a brigade of Prussian soldiers stationed in Gilly. Later that afternoon, the same wing , after completing their first mission, pressed on to a location near Fleurs where more Allied troops were stationed.

7. As you can see from the prior content in Step 6: Napoleon's plan was successful in that he had placed his army right between the advance aspects or elements of each of the Allied armies, with his main force in the distinct position to either go left or go right.
   
   Then on June 16, Napoleon took his reserve army from Charleroi to Fleurus. There he easily overtook the Allied Army.
   
   Secondly, he then headed north to the Ligny area to confront the Allied Army there led by the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher. However, Blucher's army had quickly headed west with hopes of intercepting the French.

8. Can you visualize Napoleon's decisiveness of action and clever strategic militaristic planning in your mind? Here, at this point (in the information) he has already overtaken several groups and continues to press forward in order to engage more Allied Forces in battle.

9. Now we will look at Napoleon's strategy at Ligny and Quatre-Bras.
   
   Napoleon's idea was to coordinate his plan against the Prussian Allied Army (led by Blucher) with his original left-wing (led by Marshal Michel Ney) or Ney's offensive located at Quatre-Bras.
   
   The reserve was in place to either go east or west in order to assist either wing, whatever the situation required.
   
   Secondly, if all went as planned, the reserve army would then move northwest, join Ney at Quatre-Bras, and advance on Brussels in order to split the two allied armies.

10. On the afternoon of June 16, Napoleon recognized the sound of Ney's artillery at Quatre-Bras. He then engaged Blucher's army. After about an hour of fighting, Napoleon dispatched a message to (Marshal) Ney ordering him to send his first corps. However, Napoleon's currier incorrectly took the order to General Jean Baptiste Drouet D'Erlon.
    
    When Ney heard of D'Erlon's departure, he ordered his troops back to Quatre-Bras. In fact, the message reached D'Erlon just as he reached the Ligny battlefield.
    
    Once again, D'Erlon followed his orders with the result being he took part in neither battle.
    
    In any event, Napoleon was still able to defeat Blucher after three hours of battle.
    
    It was twilight and the Prussians withdrew from the battlefield.
    
    Additionally, since D'Erlon was not able to enter the fighting (because of the mixup) the main body of the Allied forces army (led by Blucher) was able to retreat without many casualties.

11. In the meantime, while Ney waited (unaccountably) for several hours to begin his attack, the other Allied Force (led by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington) was able to reinforce Quatre-Bras with several more divisions of calvary and infantry. Ney finally attacked at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon. Ney was at an extreme disadvantage without the support of D'Erlon's Corps.
    
    Around 7:00 p.m. that evening, Wellington and the Allied Forces counter-attacked and were able to push Ney and his army back to the town of Frasnes, a few miles south of Quatre-Bras.
    
    D'Erlon joined Ney in Frasnes around 9:00 p.m. that evening.

12. The next area of battle is the fighting at Mont-Saint-Jean.
    
    The following strategy was employed by the Allieds. It was early (morning) June 17 when a messenger, on behalf of Blucher reached Wellington at Quatre-Bras, thus informing him of the (Prussian) defeat at Ligny.
    
    Wellington responded, suggesting to Blucher that he head northwest and meet up with the Anglo-Dutch Army for a unified stand against Napoleon near Mont-Saint-Jean.
    
    Wellington then left Quatre Bras, leaving behind a brigade (of calvary) in order to "throw off" Ney.
    
    Napoleon's strategy was as follows: On the same morning, Napoleon ordered Grouchy to take thirty-thousand troops and go after Blucher's army.
    
    He the sent word to Ney, now in Frasnes, to engage Wellington. Ney, unaware of Wellington's retreat did not obey Napoleon's order.

13. After this occurred, Napoleon arrived at Frasnes in the afternoon of that day, took command of Ney's men' burshed aside the troops guarding Quatre-Bras and led his army toward Wellington and his troops.
    
    It was early in the evening (of that same day) Napoleon found the Anglo -Dutch army along a plain south of Mount-Saint-Jean.
    
    Grouchy had been unsuccessful in overtaking Blucher's army. About 10:00 p.m. on June 17, Gouchy's informants told him that the Prussians had gone northwest in order to meet up with Wellington.
    
    Grouchy was instructed by Napoleon that he should continue to pursue the Prussians. This order was given around 10:00 a.m. on June 18.
    
    However, the future would hold no success in this area for Grouchy as he was never able to find the enemy.

14. In the end, the Allied's were successful in overcoming the French offensive.
    
    Napoleon was able to regroup once more and attack; however, he did so to no avail.
    
    About eight o'clock that evening the Allied's were able to get the best of Napoleon's troops.
    
    Napoleon re-routed his men along Charleroi road. The Allieds continued to pursue the already beaten French army.
    
    They finally forced the French back across the Sambre River.

15. It was June 22 and the fallen French leader signed his second abdication.
    This ended the 100 day ordeal.
    
    King Louis XVIII was restored to the throne on June 28.
    
    Later, Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena.
    
    Napoleon was most critical of Grouchy's poor performance in not locating the Prussians after their retreat from Ligny.
    
    Ney also failed to attack Wellington on June 17 in order to prevent his withdrawl from Quatre-Bras.
    
    He also was responsible for ordering (in error) D'Erlon's men to turn back from Ligny on June 16, keeping Napoleon from the opportunity of taking down Blucher's army.
    
    And lastly, Napoleon's mistake was in not taking enough men with him prior to Charleroi. He could have attained more men from his reserve units.